On tap in a shaker pint. Slightly hazy reddish amber with a smallish but stubborn head. Scattered streaks of lacing.

Huge citric and caramel aromas, but they're overwhelmed by an even more powerful alcohol presence. The taste is similarly frustrating, surprisingly even more boozy than it smells. Kind of a weird doughy tanginess as well. A great citrusy hop profile and scorching bitterness battle for attention, but this battle creates anything but a smooth drinking experience. Something seems to have gone amiss here.

Nice coloration. Sriracha brings out the sweetness quite a bit. Good head if all you care about is presentation and bouquet. Flavor is maltier than I want in any Imperial Amber. I'm eating a biscuit that has absorbed all my hops.

Starts out with a kiss of barley wine, ends with a serious dog bite. After a brief honeymoon with the big malt it turns into a shrewish storm of hop overdose.

I can't find what hops these are, but they do a good job of bittering. This tastes like they took a batch of Sculpin and dosed it with quinine. The color is a nice orange mahogany with really good lacing in the tulip glass. Aroma of roast malt. I'm not sure what the point of this exercise is. Anything for research, but after a few sips I'm grateful I don't have to finish it.

Kinda reminds me of the War of Jenkins's Ear, only with a tongue. Yeah. This stuff pours a clear midnight garnet-copper topped by a finger of dirty cream foam. The nose comprises sweet caramel, light leek, pine resin, and light spicy greens. The taste brings in more of the same, with less leek and a light menthol character in the finish. Unfortunately, what is present--in abundance--is the clash between the caramel and the resin, which are apparently acting out a centuries-old feud right on my tongue. Buckle, my ass, it's a fucking raze job! The body is a light-leaning medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a drying finish. Overall, this just didn't work for me, as the hops and the malts just clash far too much for any enjoyment to result.

Bottle was a 2006 GABF left-over that was given to me as a reward for my volunteer efforts. Thanks a million to GABF and to Ballast Point Brewing for the opportunity. Entered into judging as an Imperial Red.

Pours a two finger frothy tan-yellow head over a crystal clear red-amber liquid. Head settles to a very sticky layer that left stellar lacing. Smells piney and clean grapefruit hoppy. rough grassy coho with a hint of American Barley Wine alcohol and sugar character. Dash of cardboard for good measure. Also, oddly, I get starwberries. Soft ester sweet.

Tatses rough grassy. Md-heavy hop bitternes and way coho for the bitterness. Dry and lacking in malt sweet. Aftertaste has a touch of alcohol sting. As the beer warms, hop bitterness become piercing. Brutal because it's so dry and lacking any malt sweet.

Swirls thick, but comes across as thin in the mouth because it's so dry nothing hangs in the mouth. Not very drinkable...I dumped it.

Appearance: Beautiful translucent mahogany with a foamy off-white head that settles to a half finger with a fair amount of lace.

Smell: Citrus hop notes that comes through as an almost artificial lime scent that reminds me of Rose's Lime Juice. Some tart pineapple as well. There is a an odd scent that I can only describe as brussel sprouts. Grainy and grassy notes come through as well. A minor hint of alcohol comes through.

Taste: Pine and grapefruit notes of hop bitterness. Some sweeter malt notes of caramel and grain that come through as well. The finish is balanced, not too dry, and consists of grapefruit pith.

Mouthfeel: The hops have some presence on the palate. Nothing more than a gentle tingle, and definitely not buckling my tongue. The beer is fairly thick.

Overall: This beer is okay. There are some off-putting elements on the nose that reminds me of cooking brussel sprouts or cauliflower. There is an artificial citrus element as well. I love the big amber style of beer, and I will say that this does not come close to Nugget Nectar or Lagunitas Mondo, which are two of my favorite examples. Overall, I think it falls short because it lacks that clean, crisp and fresh hop character that the others have.